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www.HartfordBusiness.com March23,2015•Hartford Business Journal 3 Faces in Business Serving people is how Jones made his 'bones' in restaurant biz By Stan Simpson A s a kid visiting his grandfa- ther in New Jersey, Shawn Jones remembers getting up at 5:30 a.m. to load the family van with plumbing supplies. Grandpa, Claude Akridge, was in the plumbing business, as were several other uncles. Those morn- ing sojourns taught young Shawn how to work a wrench, fix leaks and unplug drains. They also imparted a life lesson. "He taught me about hard work, dedication, responsibility, integrity, cred- ibility,'' Jones said. "Most lessons weren't about the mechanics of the job. It was about the people. It was instilled in me that no matter what business you're in, you're in the people business." At 38, Jones finds himself fully immersed with an eclectic mix of people. He is a managing partner of Bonefish Grill in South Windsor. The Evergreen Walk restaurant is in its second year of operation and employs 100 people. Whether he is dealing with customers, staff, vendors or prospective customers Jones finds himself harkening back to grandpa's words of wisdom. "You've got to treat people with respect and be humble at all times," said Jones, a Hartford native and divorced father of three children. His goal is to own a chain of restaurants, following the lead of his mentor Wayne Hull. Jones, as a teenager and the oldest of five chil- dren, was a busboy with Outback Steakhouse. There, he met owner Wayne Hull, who took a lik- ing to Jones and groomed him for manager roles as Hull opened more restaurants. In 2000, as a student and football player at the University of New Haven, majoring in busi- ness management, Jones made his first tough business decision. Hull offered him a job to manage an Out- back Steakhouse restaurant in Manches- ter. Though getting his college degree was important to him, the opportunity to work as a manager immediately was very appealing. "He game me more money than I thought I would make out of college — $45,000, plus a bonus,'' Jones said. He quickly became Hull's point man in Continued As managing partner of South Windsor's Bonefish Grill restaurant, Shawn Jones said he's found a management style that offers a recipe for success: be "kind with people; tough on results." Stan Simpson P H O T O | S T e v e L a S c H e v e r 860.871.1111 Toll Free: 800.741.6367 nemsi.com License #'s: E1-104939 • S1-302974 • P1-203519 • F1-10498 • SM1-192 • MC-1134 MECHANICAL • ELECTRICAL • PLUMBING • SHEET METAL • BUILDING AUTOMATION • FACILITIES SERVICES FACILITY SOLUTIONS…ONE SOURCE Only one company can build, power, protect, and maintain the critical systems in virtually every type of facility. Our clients trust us to deliver end-to-end facilities solutions, so they can focus on their core business. We design, install, maintain, and protect systems in: Industrial Facilities Manufacturing Facilities Commercial Facilities Higher Education Facilities Healthcare Facilities Pharmaceutical Facilities